Sickle.



- L. A HURLBURT.

SIGKLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 190B.

Patented Aug. 24:, 1909.

' BURT, a citizen of the United LLEWELLYN A. HURLBURT, 0F FAIRBURY, NEBRASKA.

' SICKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 119(99.

Application filed May 11, 1908. Serial No. 432,068.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LLnwnLLYN A. HURL- States, residing at Fair-bury, in the county of Jefferson and State of Nebraska, have invented Certain new and useful Improvements in Sickles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in sickles and has among its salient objects to provide a device which can be used to trim lawns, shrubbery, etc., Without necessitating bending or stooping on the part of the operator; to provide a device the blade of which is rigidly supported at each end and is provided with a double cutting edge so as to operate when swung in both a backwardly and forwardly direction; to provide an extremely simple and durable construction in which all parts he substantially in the same plane or planes; and in general to provide .an improved construction of the character referred to.

The invention will be understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a side elevation of the device and Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings 1 designates as a whole a loop-like frame member which in the present embodiment of the invention is made generally rectangular as to its main,

body portion and comprises side frame members 2 and a lower cross piece 3 preferably made integral. At the u per end of the rectangular portion of the ame the side members 2 are first bent inwardly as shown at 4 and then outwardly to form parallel extensions 5, these latter serving as shanks for the reception of the handle 6. This handle is detachably secured to the frame member by means of suitable through-bolts 7. In order to increase the rigidity of the frame member, a brace rod 8 is rigidly united to the frame at the points where the sides of the latter are bent inwardly. Each end', of the brace rod is screw-threaded and extends through suitable apertures in the side members 2 to which it is detachably secured by suitable nuts 9.

As seen more clearly in Fig. 2 the lower cross piece 3 is preferably made of relatively wide strap iron the upper face of which is fiat and to its upper face is suitably secured,

as by rivets 11, a double edged cutting blade 10. The width of this blade is greater than' the width of the cross piece 8 so that the edges of the blade extend beyond either side of the frame, in order to afford effectivecutting edges. The arrangement is such that the bar which carries the blade largely protects the latter against contact with the sidewalks, ourbs, etc, while the wide frames protect the user against accidentally cutting himself. Incidentally it .will be noted that all of the parts are in the same general plane with each other, thus makin a very compact device which can be readily siipped or stored in comparatively small space. Inasmuch as the handle extends at right angles to the blade the device can ofcourse be operated without necessitating bending or stooping.

The device is extremely strong and durable for the reason that the blade is protected and supported throughout its full length and at the ends.

While I have herein shown what I deem to be a preferredembodiment of the invention, at. the same time it is apparent that the devicc can be varied in details of construcand a double edged blade secured to the inner face of, said cross-piece and beyond thesides of the latter.

2.-In a sickle, the combination with a frame comprising a pair of side members provided at their upper ends with a shank extension to receive the handle, of a handle extending seated in said'shank extension and substanblade are protected from contact with the tiallydilti)1 agiinement With the1 fi'ame, andiniground.

turne a e sup ort u on t e ower en 0 said frame, and a dolible edged blade se- LLEWELLYN HURLBURT' 5 cured t0 the upper edge of said ill-turned Witnesses:

blade support, and extending beyond the O. H. HARDY, 4 sides of the latter, whereby the edges of said I E. R. FLOREN. 

